Jimmy Press

Mrs. Rebecca
UWRT
23 January 2016
Brandt Reading Log

1. Brandts first paragraph narrates the changes of a workplace, a place of learning, at a

specific time and in a specific type of work.
a. Summarize these changes in 25 words or less.
In the first paraph of the article, The Sponsors of Literacy talks about the changes in society
over time. As society evolves we notice change in the workplace, for example, by introducing
the steam press in the 19th century.
This change not only made the process run smoother, but it also cut jobs due to the tight
competition. This invention also caused a drop in literate potential.

b. What does this story show us about literacy?

In this story literacy is put into place by the process it takes to print and what steps must be
taken to perform the task. The paragraph states that, while this shift in working conditions may
be evidence of the deskilling of workers induced by the Industrial revolution. This change in
working conditions is not healthy for the company but it in unhealthy for the person because
their literacy rate is going down. This paragraph shows us that the more efficient that companies
get at being profitable with the printing press, the form of literacy that used to be used to is now
dropped.
c. Why did Brandt tell it?
I think Brandt told this story to show that literacy is always changing in one shape or form. He
wanted to show the reader the evolution of the of the printer and what work and adaption people
had to change. The way people adapt and change to a situation is a form of literacy. Its
important to notice that this change is happening even when you do not realize it. Brant brings
up a good point saying the reading and writing skills of print apprentices increased not just
because of teachers and or learns but the influence and practice of the printer community. As a
community, we come to together and face grow literate as one.

2. Of these changes in economies, Brandt notes on p. 1, para. 2, As ordinary citizens have

been compelled into these economies, their reading and writing skills have grown sharply
more central to the everyday trade of information and goods as well as to the pursuit of
education, employment, civil rights, and status.
a. When you think of the term economies, what comes to mind?
When I think of the term economies I think of the U.S nation and the everyday functions of our
daily lives. Each and every person has a part into contributing to our economy. Weather its
president of the united states or if its an employee at Walmart. Our Economy is what America is
based upon and if fails it will be cyanotic.

b. What is Brandt getting to here about the connection between economies and
literacy?
Brandt is trying to convey the message that having a good understanding of the way the
economy works would help literacy. As a society, the better knowledge we have on reading and
writing skills the better one can function. They can become aware of the trade that is going on
even though one might not realize it. This will allow citizens to be more culturally aware and
improve their literacy.
 c. Based on current American economy, what needs do we require our literacies to
serve? What kinds of literacies should people gain to survive our current economy?
Our American economy is based upon individuals and these individuals power to make the
economy run smooth. There is constantly a new generation and to serve our economies literacy,
the old generations need to teach the new generations. People should gain knowledge about
economic value, forms, and standards of literacy in order for economy to survive. People should
also gain the literacy to accepting people so that there is minimal fighting.

3. On p. 2, para. 2., Brandt offers her approach to understanding how individual development
has ties to an economic development. The approach is through what I call sponsors of
literacy. Sponsorsare any agents, local or distant, concrete or abstract, who enable,
support, teach, or model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress, or withhold literacy and
gain advantage by it in some way.
a. Lets think about the term sponsor for a minute. List a couple ways or places
youve heard this term used. What makes someone or thing a sponsor?
One place Ive heard the term sponsor is when my friend played tennis and he got sponsored by
Prince.
Another example of sponsor is in NASCAR
Another example is in sporting events when a company gets recognized to the audience. Like
saying todays event is sponsored by Coke
The last place I have heard sponsor is my other friend getting sponsored by a wakeboarding
company because he was pro. What makes someone a sponsor is their action in promoting their
brand so that they can profit.

b. Now look back over her description of sponsors and pull out the actions that she
says they do. Take an example or two from your listwhat actions did they do for
the sponsored (ex. model, suppress)? What advantage did they receive in return?
In my first example the sponsors used the tacit of technique. The company received an
advantage because the audience could see the player in Price clothing, shoes, and racket and
hopefully persuade the audience to buy their products. The player received free rackets and
shoes just for promoting their brand.
In my second example, NASCAR is a great way of sponsoring a product because the audience
can follow their favorite driver and have an interest for whatever is on the car. The sponsors used
the tactic of model. They did this by making the car seem as appealing as it can be to catch the
customers eye. The advantage that the drivers receives is free gear, car, and a good check.
c. Note any questions or concerns with Brandts definition of a sponsor here.
Brandts definition is very accurate, I agree that sponsors are made up of agents, local or distant,
concrete or abstract, who enable support, teach, or model, as well as recruit, regulate, suppress,
or withhold literacy. One question I have is to what extent do the sponsors help gain literacy?

4. Based on Brandts further discussion of sponsorship from pp. 3-5, who does she believes
holds more power in the relationship (sponsor/sponsored)? Why? How does this power
dynamic shape literacy development? Use at least 2 quotes and/or references to the text
to support your answers.

In the article the sponsors of literacy based on the relationship between the sponsor and
sponsored, Brant believes the sponsor has more power. In this relationship, they both benefit
each other by building their image. The article that, Sponsors, as we ordinarily think of them,
are powerful figures who bankroll events or smooth the way for initiates (Brandt, 3). Based on
this statement it shows that the sponsors are typically powerful figures that know how to display
their product to the audience. The sponsor is also smart because they lend their resources or
credibility to the sponsored but also stand to gain benefits form their success. They use literacy
in their strategy by using commercial references which include magazines, peddled
encyclopedias, essay contests, radio and television and so on. By doing this it shapes literacy
development because the information in their methods will have a lasting effect on the customer.
It allows the customer to develop literacy towards their product. The article comes to talk about
the development of literacy with the economic, political, and education system. A quote that
shows the struggle of managing literacy is, the competition to harness literacy, to manage,
measure, teach, and exploit it, has intensifies thought the century (Brandt, 5). This change in
competition makes it more of a struggle for sponsors to do well. Therefore, the sponsors must
work harder to adapted to the economic, political, and education systems.

5. At the middle of page 6, Brandt begins a section about Sponsorship and Access. In this
section, Brandt looks closely at access to sponsors, materials, and opportunities for
learning. She notes that literacy development is very complicated, and we cant look to
one thing (location, socioeconomic status, culture, family background) as the reasoning
behind different literacy developments. To complicate our ideas, Brandt offers us two
stories of people who are the same age and live in the same town: Raymond Branch and
Dora Lopez. In her telling of their literacy experiences, she aims to show the rich layers of
opportunity, access, sponsors, motivations, needs, culture, support, and
interests that inevitably shape literacy learning. Read through page 9, and keep notes for
Raymond and Dora, tracking anything that you feel shaped their literacy experiences.

Raymond: His father was a professor at the university. From his father being a professor at
a high-level university, I feel like Raymond would be impacted for the best because he
would always have help from his dad whenever he needed. His level of literacy I feel
would be higher than average because as he develops his environment would be filled
with strong vocabulary words and actions from his dad.

Raymond: fooled around with computer programing in the company. His father was
provided with the resources to put his son into this environment of technology. Therefore,
his love for computers started at a young age. Being exposed to these types of
technologies at a young age helped his literacy develop faster than normal.

Raymond: Moved to the Midwest at the age of 6. This change in environment is hard for
someone as young at Raymond to deal with. Besides the fact that they moved, his love
for technology still stands. This new environment that Raymond had to face shaped him
for the better. High tech stores were becoming established in his vicinity. The increase in
the number of stores I believed enhanced Raymond drive to do well because he saw the
potential the community had. As the community grows and develops their literacy rate
grows with it.

Raymond: Making contacts with founders of the first electronic bulletin boards in the
nation. I believe that this is very important in the growth of his literacy. Having the
opportunity to meet people with that level of intelligence is very beneficial to his literacy.

Raymond: Graduated from the local university and became a successful freelance writer
of software and documentation. By going to college and living through the struggles of it
shaped his literacy in a positive way. He learned what it takes to be successful and he
obviously was because he obtained a job that he loved.
Dora: Her father was a shipping and receiving clerk at the university. Her father also
obtained an accounting degree in with I feel would help Dora enhance her literacy.
Dora: Mother worked part time in a bookstore. She only attended a local technical college
briefly so she did not finish. This I believe had a negative effect on Doras literacy because
her mom did not have the resource to help her.
Dora: Family moved to the Midwest where the Mexican-American population in the
university was barely one per cent. This transition that Dora had to make was not easy at
all. Being the minority in a new environment like this would certainly make literacy a
challenge for her.

Dora: Parents had to drive seventy miles to a big city to find suitable groceries but
Spanish-language newspapers and magazines. This is crazy that the environment that
they were in did not have the things they needed to survive. This statement shows how
much the environment affected their life but also shows that the community is functioning
at a low literacy rate. They are function at a low rate because the community is not
conforming to the different cultures.

Dora: Taught herself how to read and write in Spanish. This says a lot about her literacy
as an individual because learning a foreign language is very difficult. Even though her
environment was poor she succeeded and used resources from her mothers bookstore
discount. She also practiced her written Spanish by corresponded with her relatives in
Columbia. This communication I believe helped enhance her literacy by seeing the
different cultures there is.

Dora: Working for a cleaning company. She made her Spanish skills useful and translated
both Spanish to English for the company. This has a positive effect of her literacy because
she is interacting and helping people every day while doing what she is good at.